You may remember our first leopard shield, the ex-poacher who we recruited as a ranger to protect leopards and their prey in northern Iran. After six months of dedicated work by our novel ranger, we procured an “iron horse” for him – a powerful trail motorbike to enable him to better carry out anti-poaching patrolling in the area. He has been extremely successful for the past several months, deterring a few groups of poachers each month. The new bike enhances his social status and thus the support local people will give him, all of which improves his ability to patrol his area effectively. This is a remarkable step toward enhancing conservation in the area and will greatly aid our dedicated leopard shield.